The
Red Hook StarªRevue
MARCH 2016
SOUTH BROOKLYN’S COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER
FREE
Sunny Balzano's beautiful life by George Fiala
T
his adventure started on a Tuesday. On the way to work, I stopped by the longshoreman’s union – catching up on waterfront news as well as enjoying coffee and donuts with my friends there. As I was was leaving the union office a little before 1 pm, I caught the tail end of a Leonard Lopate interview on the radio. Someone had just published a book about Sunny's Bar in Red Hook. This was big news to me! In fact, the author, Tim Sultan, was going to be reading and signing books that very evening at the Court Street Bookstore. I attended along with a Star-Revue reporter.
I can only guess they picked up a paper and thought we might be interested to write about it. They were right.
However, I am not without my own Red Hook history. Back around 1987, at the end of my marriage, I was having an especially rough day at my Boerum Hill home and felt the need to flee to a place even more depressing than me.
The adventure could have ended right there; but a few days later, a package showed up at the office.
I got into my car, armed with a Rolling Stones cassette, and headed to the very end of Van Brunt Street. What is now Fairway was then an old, abandoned warehouse surrounded by junk and debris. A decrepit cyclone fence separated the street from the water. I got out of the car to take a look. I was astonished to see the Statue of Liberty in plain view, a beacon amidst all the detritus.
I finally opened it that evening, and lo and behold, it was that book, Sunny’s Nights, sent to me by Random House.
I like to tell this story because now, all these years later, I come to that very spot every day as that’s where the
Sunny Balzano was sitting in the front row wearing an enormous hat and scarf, and made some remarks following the reading. On my way out, I left a stack of Star-Revues, in case anyone there might be further interested in our neighborhood.
ALSO INSIDE
I know that many of you reading this article will know much more about Red Hook and Sunny's, as I only took a big interest in both in 2010, when I began publishing a community newspaper here.
Osvaldo is a Red Hook hero - page 14
Star-Revue office is now located. I first heard of Sunny’s sometime after the millennium while traveling on a flight to Chicago. It was listed as one of America’s "best bars." I was surprised that a best bar could be in Red Hook. That was still when I still thought of Red Hook as a place to avoid. When I finally realized the gem of (continued on page 17)
Federal Sandy money will modernize and beautify Red Hook Houses! see page 8
Harriet Zucker rescues dogs - page 9
Red Hook's authentic Irish Bar - page 13
(artist rendering courtesy NYCHA)
Red Hook Star-Revue
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March 2016, Page 1